Charlie Bone and the Pasts of the Tortured Ten
by fictionlover27
Summary: Charlie and Paton get separated on the sea. Paton returns without Charlie and the Bloors make plans to bring Charlie to their side no matter the costs. With his friends downhearted from his death Charlie is alone with his life in the Bloors hands.
1. Help a little too late

If you haven't read the seventh Charlie Bone book (Charlie bone and the Shadow know as Shadow of Badlock in England) you do not want to read this fanfic until you have. Trust me it contains SPOILERS. Note I DON'T own the contents of the children of the red king series. I'm going to use a scene from the actual book and change it dramatically. I'll be adding on as well. Here I go.

They got into the boat and Uncle Paton began to row away from the island. They hadn't gone far when a huge wave slapped into the side of the boat, tipping it dangerously. The sun had disappeared and the sky was filled with dark, angry clouds. There was a sudden crack of thunder, followed by a torrent of rain.

"Dagbert didn't follow us did he?" Charlie looked at the heaving waves.

"Could be the other one, his father," said Paton. "Mrs. Tilpin and the shadow have been gathering their forces, no doubt."

_And they'll be mad about what I've done,_ thought Charlie.

The waves rose higher; great walls of water lifted the flimsy boat and tossed it down as though it were a toy.

"I should have thought of life jackets," shouted Uncle Paton through the roar of the water.

The next wave sent the boat rolling onto its side. Charlie lost his grip and felt himself sliding into the sea. _He's not going to let me get away with it, _he thought as the waves closed over his head. _But at least I got one thing right._

"Charlie! Charlie, hang on!"

As he came up for air, Uncle Paton grabbed his wrist. "Come on, come on, Charlie. Don't let go," he shouted. "We'll get there, don't give up."

Charlie felt his uncle's hands pulling the back of his jacket, but the waves kept washing over his head, and he knew they wanted to drown him.

Then to both Charlie's and Paton's absolute horror the current dragged Charlie out of the arms of his jacket and into the water. Paton threw Charlie's jacket away knowing it wouldn't matter if he kept it or not. He dove his hands into the water with a wave crashing into his back. Paton's hands came back up empty. In desperation Paton leaned over the edge searching frantically with his entire arms in the water. Paton searched for an unusual color in the water but he couldn't find one.

While Paton was searching he failed to notice a twenty foot tall wave rushing towards his back. The wave hit him hard sending him into the water and breaking the boat into three pieces.

Paton rose back up to the surface and the waves around him ceased. Paton turned to the cliff and noticed a thin path had been made for him to land. Paton brought his eyes to the top of the cliff where a knight in shining armor with red feathers on his helmet was standing. Paton smiled and swam towards land in hope that the red knight had given a similar path to Charlie.

When Paton reached shore he turned back to the raging sea. Paton stood on the beach trying to find any sign of Charlie but he couldn't find a single trace. Not a washed up shoe or a blur of color. Paton wasn't disheartened easily. He sat on the beach and waited for something anything that would prove that Charlie was alive.

Half an hour had passed and Paton felt his heart become a little heavier. He turned to see where the red knight was but his rescuer had disappeared. Paton could only hope that that meant Charlie was safe. Paton returned his eyes to the sea which had calmed back to its usual self.

Paton sat on the seaside with the tide beating against his legs until it was almost time for Tancred's return party but Charlie didn't show. _If I hadn't grabbed just his jacket he'd be here._ Paton glanced at his hands in regret. _Now Paton it's no good to blame yourself. There's no proof that he's dead….yet. It'll do no good to him or me just sitting here I need to get the police involved in this. They'll have a better chance of finding him than me. _Paton scolded himself rising from his sitting position.

Paton turned to the cliff then whipped back and raced into the water with his long legs sending water everywhere. He ran towards a dark blur in the water about four feet out. "Charlie!" Paton grabbed hold of the blur and raised it out of the water. Paton felt tears well up in his eyes as he let water drip from Charlie's cast away jacket. Paton threw it on the shore in anger.

Paton came out of the water and reached in his pocket for his cell phone and his hand came back up empty. Paton checked all of his pockets and there was nothing. Not his cell phone, not even pocket change to use a public phone. Paton gave a grunt of frustration and strode swiftly to his car. Luckily his keys had been saved from the water's sucking, devouring mouth.

Paton swiftly entered the car and headed to the diner he had gone to previously with Charlie and Billy ignoring the fact that his clothes were still soaking wet. They allowed him to call the police when he told them the story. The police would be there as soon as they could but Paton had a feeling that to retrieve Charlie he would need all of the endowed children's help.

When Paton arrived at the thunder house he felt depression rise in his chest. Paton had no idea how he was going to the kids about this tragic event.

Julia Ingledew saw Paton coming and seeing the depressing look on his face she rushed forward throwing her arms around him in a hug. "Paton, what's wrong?" Paton shook his head as Charlie's friends (including Fidelio and Ben) rushed up to him.

Paton didn't answer with tears filling his eyes. "Where's Charlie?" asked Lysander as everyone tried to see if Charlie was behind Paton. Paton just shook his head and all of the children's faces fell.

"Paton what happened? Where's Charlie and why are you all wet?" Miss Ingledew asked with a hint of hysteria in her voice.

Paton a lump stick in his throat and his voice wouldn't work. His mouth opened and closed several times but Paton couldn't form the words. He had barely been able to tell the police what had happened and all he had told them that there was a boy was lost at sea. He gave them the area and Charlie's name of course but nothing else. All Paton could do was shake his head with a tear sliding down his cheek. He had grown extremely fond of Charlie and now when Charlie had finally got his father back he had gotten the poor boy lost at sea.

All of the children's faces fell when they saw Mr. Yewbeam shake his head. They understood what it meant. Why else wouldn't Charlie be at his side to welcome Tancred back? Why else would he be wet? And why would the courageous Paton Yewbeam be crying if Charlie wasn't… wasn't—? They couldn't bring themselves to think it let alone say it.

They all turned away. _We came to celebrate the return of a friend only to have another taken away. _ They all thought with their heads down.

Mr. Torsson came forward and announced that the food was ready. "This isn't a time to celebrate anymore dad. Charlie's missing." Tancred mumbled sadly.

"Mr. Yewbeam may I have a quick word with you?" Mr. Torsson boomed. Paton strode swiftly with Mr. Torsson into the house. "Is that boy with or against the tide?" He whispered.

"What? You mean the actual tide?"

"Yes. If it's in his favor he will surely make it especially if you had a boat with you."

"The boat broke." Paton solemnly said.

"Even so it floats as long as he has that boat near him it won't take as much energy out of him. I'll ride a storm over there to get him." Mr. Torsson said confidently.

"No! We don't want to bring our enemies' attention to the ocean. That might make things worse for Charlie if he's alright." Paton objected.

"So we do nothing?" Mr. Torsson asked amazed.

"For now that is all that we can and should do. Charlie's strong. He has a high chance of surviving as long as we don't interfere and make the Bloors interested in the sea. It's better to leave things like this for now. We'll think of something though I don't know what I'll tell that boy's parents." Even in sadness Paton remained the voice of reason.

***

Charlie was in the middle of the ocean with exhaustion burning into his legs. He had been swimming for the past half hour now he was treading water. The current had pulled him underwater for at least a minute and when Charlie had resurfaced he found that he was a little more than halfway to the Castle of Mirrors. Charlie had swum as far as he could towards the cliff with determination in his heart to rescue Billy and see his parents again.

Charlie saw was almost ready to swim for another round when he saw something like a fin and it was coming closer. Charlie felt his heartbeat increase. "Uncle Paton!" He shouted. "Where are you?" Charlie had lost sight of him the instant he had resurfaced. The fin was getting closer. _A shark's going to eat me and then it'll be no more Charlie, just some blood and a couple of bones._ He thought rapidly debating whether or not he should change course. Sure he'd get away from the shark but he might lose sight of the cliff and go the wrong way.

Charlie remained still hoping that the shark would pass but when the fin bumped into him it rose higher revealing a piece of the broken boat. Charlie gave a sigh of relief and grabbed the wood making it easier for him to float.

After hours of constant kicking Charlie finally reached the shore just after sunset. He lay on the cool sand and fell asleep.

***

At Bloor's Academy a secret meeting was being held. Grizelda Bone had just heard the news. Actually she had spied on Paton and overheard his confession to the family cook. She had requested the meeting. All her sisters were present along with all of the Bloors (excluding Bartholomew). Even all of the evil endowed children had been summoned never mind the fact that it was the middle of the night. They all sat around a table in a room that didn't have any windows.

"Okay what is this all about?" Dagbert yawned. He was never up this late but since Manfred asked him to come he had had no choice. The rest of the kids were in the same exhausted state. Joshua had his head down on the table with his eyes half open. The twins were fighting to keep their eyes open. Dorcas had her head propped up against her arm. Eric was the only child that had been allowed to stay home asleep.

"Since your attention span is low I'll get to the point." Grizelda announced. "Paton returned safely home but his companion didn't." Grizelda had told everyone earlier about Charlie taking Otus back to Amoret. Everyone's eyes widened and the ones who were in danger of falling asleep found themselves wide awake.

"Charlie's lost at sea?!" Ezekiel screeched with anger etched on his skull-like face. "Are you sure he's dead woman? Be sure!" He demanded.

"All that anyone knows is that Charlie was separated from Paton at sea and he hasn't been found yet. Paton sent the coast guard after him. They haven't found anything but they'll look again tomorrow." Grizelda explained.

"There's a chance that the boy's alive but this presents another problem." Dr. Bloor stated. "If Lyell hears about this he and his wife will be sure to return home as soon as possible."

"If there's one thing we know is that when Paton feels guilty he takes a long time to tell others. We can work on that increase his guilt long enough for Charlie to have a chance to return, though he doesn't deserve it." Lucretia growled.

"Make sure you do." Dr. Bloor and Ezekiel said in unison.

"Dagbert contact your father and make sure he holds off the death of Lyell and Amy Bone for two weeks." Manfred ordered.

"Yes, sir." He replied.

"Good that'll definitely give him enough time make sure he doesn't give any less time don't forget that the boy has to walk the entire way back. They won't return from their honeymoon for another month and a half anyway. Now what is Paton planning?" Dr. Bloor asked.

"Well, after Maisie said she couldn't stand to remain in the house that Charlie had been in he decided to pack their bags and move into the house on Diamond Corner. They'll be moved in three days." Grizelda informed them.

"Can one of you three move in there?" Manfred asked the Yewbeam aunts.

"Now why should we do that?" Venetia retorted as everyone turned to stare at Manfred in confusion.

"Charlie will have to be restrained when he returns. We'll then need him to be brought here. We can take all the time it takes to bring him to our side and bend him to our will. It'll take at least two people to get him here. All of the endowed children have school and dad and I can't go there either. Mr. Weedon has his duties here as well which leaves you three and my grandfather and he will take a better role as one of the convincers." Manfred said irritably since no one else had realized this.

"You know he does have a point." Eustacia grumbled with the fact that it was more probable that she would be the one temporarily moving in four days. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement.

"The question is which one of us." Lucretia glanced at her younger sisters.

"Well don't look at me I have Eric to take care of." Venetia declared.

"Ladies here's a different plan. You switch days and on every weekend we will come down as well. If I do not participate it will be the miscreants in this school's fault. Manfred and my grandfather will always be there though." Dr. Bloor boomed.

"This is all about Charlie. Why did we have to come?" Joshua whined.

"Now all of you listen it is fatal here that you do not provoke the other endowed. Also when we get the boy you must make sure that you don't slip out something that makes them know we have him." Dr. Bloor warned.

"Agreed." All the endowed children said. "Can we go back to bed now sir? We have school tomorrow you know." They all reminded the headmaster that it was Tuesday night.

"We'd all better. We'll call all of you back a day after the boy is found. We may call on you separately to confirm that things are going as planned. Now go." Dr. Bloor ordered.


	2. Sympathy

When Charlie opened his eyes it was night again. _I can't believe I slept for an entire day._ Charlie thought as he lifted his worn out body off the ground. Sand was clinging to his clothes and his face. Charlie raised a hand to his head and his head felt weird. Charlie ran his hands through his hair and found that they didn't get stuck like they usually did.

Charlie stared at his hands in amazement. His hair must have been changed by the salt water somehow. Now his hair was smooth and shiny. It came down to his eyebrows. _So much for hair like a hedge. _Charlie thought awkwardly at the thought of having smooth hair. _I wonder if it will stay this way or go back._

Charlie trudged up the cliff with his muscles stiff and aching from his physical effort the day before. When he reached the top he sighed to himself, "This is going to be a long walk home. Well at least I'm not dead." Charlie decided it would be better to be optimistic about this or else it would be an extremely long long walk back home.

"OUCH!" Charlie cried as he stepped on a rock. He glanced at his feet and realized that his shoes had been pulled off by the current. "Oh no it _is_ going to be an agonizingly long limp home." He whined as he rubbed his foot which was bleeding a small river of blood. Charlie had heard that it was dangerous to leave wounds since they could get infected. He didn't know how it got that way but he had been told that it was painful to be in that stage so he grabbed a clump of his torn pants and ripped a strip off. He tied it around his wound and carefully began to walk towards the woods.

When Charlie reached the trees he made a plan that tonight he'd get as far as possible while sticking to the edge of the forest. _I'd better go a little deeper in the forest when I sleep. The Bloors might have sent someone after me._ Charlie cautioned.

The next day when Charlie woke up his throat was parched and his stomach was rumbling. He headed towards town in hope of finding some food. He reached into his pockets and found nothing. He approached a woman working at a food store.

"Excuse me, hi, sorry but I got separated from my uncle and I have no food or money can you help?" Charlie gave her his best impression of puppy eyes.

"Um okay if you help me. Go clean off those two tables, take out the garbage, clean the bathroom floor, and I'll give you some food and a drink." She said to the boy who was in torn jeans with no shoes on and a shirt stained with sweat. She normally would have turned him down but with the boy's appearance it seemed what he said was true.

_I have to do all that just for necessary needs?_ Charlie thought amazed but obliged. He looked at his watch after he had finished his meal and thanked the waitress. It was 11:30. "Time to go." Charlie said cheerfully and strode down the road. All day he asked whoever came by for a ride and got a whole mile farther than he had been in the morning. "Man I could've walked and gotten farther." Charlie said in annoyance. He had to get home before something else went wrong, before another of his friends died like Tancred. Charlie hung his head in shame as he walk into the edge of the forest with the sun setting.

In the middle of the night Charlie awoke with something tugging at his sleeve. Charlie forced his eyes opened and jumped away in horror. There was a bear right next to him sniffing at his sleeve. Charlie glanced at his shirt and realized the terrifying fact that he had spilled honey on his shirt when he was eating his meal back at the restaurant. "I'm in trouble!" Charlie cried tearing off his sleeve throwing it at the bear which was slowing following him. Charlie gave a huge sigh of relief when it became occupied with licking his sleeve.

He ran through the trees until he couldn't see the bear or hear its long licks and groans of pleasure. "Jeez, I could've died. It's gotta be safer to sleep in the trees. It'll be hard for bears to reach me that way." Charlie concluded as he lifted himself on to the second branch of a ten foot tall tree. Charlie was glad that there was some light otherwise he would've self consciously confused the tree for Otus. He had gotten used to see his tall ancestor near him.

Over the next few days Charlie found his appearance getting worse and help was becoming rare. His feet were now continuously bleeding from rubbing against bark when he climbed in and out of trees at night, walking bare foot, and the night after the bear he had stepped into thorn bush five times for each foot. His pants were now shorts after tearing enough strips to cover the entire bottom of his feet. They remained sore and his entire body ached. Charlie found that when you were alone even if you were a kid sympathy only helped for so long and no one liked to help a kid who hadn't showered in five days. Not to mention the fact that he was sun burnt on his entire body.

Charlie found berries in the woods and ate whatever he could find he watched out for red berries since he found that the food that animals ate was good for humans too usually. It was hard since he didn't know a lot about survival skills and he had nothing to kill an animal to eat it. Charlie thought he probably wouldn't be able to kill it anyways he found that every time he saw a animal he would think of what Billy or Fidelio would say if he killed it. He didn't even have a heat source. He sometimes had to switch to the other side of the tree to get away from the cold blustery winds that hit often now. One night it had rained and Charlie had gotten soaked to the bone.

That was two days ago and Charlie was stilling sneezing from the cold it had gave him and since he didn't have any tissue he had to use what was left of his t-shirt which had turned a pale green from his chest up. Charlie had lost track of the days and hours seemed to last forever. Charlie found himself walking one row inside the forest to hide from the sun and luckily there was wild grass on the forest floor that gave mercy to his poor feet. Charlie didn't know it but he was halfway there all he had to do was last until he could reach home.

***

In Filbert Street the Bloors were having their first meeting since Charlie's disappearance. They were in the kitchen sitting around the table.

"The boy still hasn't showed what are we going to do?" Dr. Bloor mumbled as Manfred threw his hands in the air in annoyance since his father had seemed to ask him.

"We'd be better off if the brat was dead." Venetia growled.

"Don't you see woman!" Ezekiel screeched. "This is the best chance we could ever get to bring the boy to our side. We'll be able to rearrange history over and over. As long as the boy is alive we'll be able to do unimaginable things." He boasted.

"We're still better off with him dead." She whispered softly.

"What of the coast guard did they find anything?" Dr. Bloor asked Grizelda.

"We've been keeping tabs on Paton he called the coast guard on Thursday and it turns out that they were searching on the wrong side. They checked the south side the one they were supposed to be searching and all they found was a pair of faded footprints. They said that since the boy was no longer lost at sea it was out of their hands. Paton also said that they had to continue because they had reported that the footprints were adult sized. Just like everyone else they didn't listen to him." Grizelda reported with an amused smile at the end.

"Well who was there with him? That's the question now." Dr. Bloor asked puzzled. Everyone just shrugged they hadn't ordered anyone to follow the kid.

"Now we have two possibilities. One Charlie never made it to shore and two he left earlier enough that the traces were erased."Grizelda said thoughtfully.

"You'd better hope it's the second! If that boy dies now our plans will be ruined." Ezekiel snapped.

"What do you care? A few months ago you didn't care if he died grandpa." Manfred asked.

"He wouldn't come to our side no matter what we did to him then but now we have the upper hand. His family members that were keeping him safe have left the house he is returning to, his friends think his dead therefore they aren't searching for him, and if we offer the deal of not killing his parents if he joins us he will definitely come to our side, "Ezekiel stated confidently. "Now all we need him to do is come back alive. We'll take it from there."

"He can still refuse though." Mr. Weedon objected from a chair in the corner of the kitchen.  
"You're forgetting to look at the entire picture, at all of the advantages we have. Here's a few. He's weak, he'll feel rejected when he sees that his friends didn't even search for him,


	3. Home

Charlie stood at the beginning of Filbert Street. It was almost midnight and the wind was howling. Charlie had gained a nice tan from his ten days of travelling. The past few days had been extremely painful since his entire body had been sunburned even his bottom. His shirt was gone and his pants were close to falling apart. His feet remained injured had Charlie had used the bottom half of his shirt to wrap them since his pant bandages had worn out from nonstop walking.

Charlie gave a sigh of relief as his house came into view. "Finally no more walking, and no more bears." He gave a shudder of horror from the images that popped back into his head.

He reached into his pocket as he approached the front door of number 9 failing to notice the familiar black car with smoked windows parked near the large chestnut tree.

Charlie had found the key in his pocket a couple days ago. He had given a whoop of joy. Now he wouldn't have to worry about running into Grandma Bone when he returned.

Charlie used his key and turned the door knob. The door creaked up and Charlie slipped in. He could hear voices in the kitchen. _Who'd be up at this hour other than Uncle Paton? If it is Uncle Paton why would he be talking to himself? Who's with him? _Even with his increased hearing from his experience in the wild he couldn't hear what they were saying. He crept closer being careful not to make a sound. He didn't want to accidently embarrass his uncle he just wanted to know who it was before he went to bed.

Charlie was standing against the doorframe that led to the kitchen when he recognized the voice of Ezekiel Bloor. "What's he doing here?" Charlie asked himself quietly leaning against the frame a little harder to try and hear him clearly.

Charlie was about to dare to move even closer when he made out what was being said. "The two weeks are almost up grandpa what are we going to do about his parents? Do we wait until tomorrow is over or do we just kill them now?" Charlie's eyes widened in shock what was Manfred doing here? He wondered.

Charlie heard a scrap of a chair and footsteps. Coming towards HIM! _ I have to get out of here. But I have to find out what they're planning. I need to find a place to hide and quick._ Charlie looked quickly around him. _The living room! It'll have to do. _Charlie dove into the living room right as the door came open. Luckily it was Dr. Bloor and he was talking back to someone and he hadn't noticed Charlie.

Charlie squeezed himself in between the back of the couch and a wall with a window above the couch. Charlie tried to get comfortable as quietly as he could while the footsteps followed him into the living room.

"There's a strange smell in here." Grizelda stated as she sat on armchair closest to the couch. Charlie froze in horror.

"Ignore it. The window's open. It's probably from outside." Ezekiel mumbled. Grizelda gave a shrug as she gave up. Charlie relaxed slightly as he remembered that he had found a river that he had washed in the day before and he had been able to get most of the stink and dirt off of him.

"The smell may come from outside but why is there blood on the carpet near the lamp stand?" Manfred asked as he pointed to a smear of blood that had seeped through Charlie's hasty made bandages. Charlie turned his head back sharply to stare in horror at the blood but in his anxiousness he had smacked his against the edge of the couch. Charlie saw stars flash before his eyes and he held his head without hitting anything else.

"What was that?" Everyone said in unison. Charlie was able to figure out who was in with him old Ezekiel, Dr. Bloor, his grandma, his three great-aunts and Manfred. _If I get caught I'll die. _ Charlie shuddered at the thought.

"Weedon check behind the couch it may be an injured mouse." Dr. Bloor ordered. Charlie froze as thoughts spun through his head. _ He's going to look over here and find me then enjoy smashing me into bits. I'll have to move or die. Move or Die. MOVE OR DIE! _Charlie screamed for his brain to find a place to hide without being seen. The end of the couch closest to Charlie feet was being lifted when Charlie decided that he couldn't do anything but this.

Weedon lifted the couch so the others could see behind but there was nothing there. "Must have run away sir." Weedon said as he lowered the couch back down.

Charlie gave a silent sigh of relief from behind the armchair that Grandma Bone was sitting in. He was so grateful that everyone had been intent on watching Mr. Weedon lift the couch that they had failed to notice Charlie's dashing figure disappear behind his grandma.

_I'd better get out of here before they find me. But….HOW? ……………………………. I know the chestnut tree. I can climb down it from my window. Now all I have to do is sneak past them up the stairs and into my room without being noticed. _ Charlie's confidence was restored now that he had a plan other than hide.

Charlie kept close against the wall as he slid intelligently while someone talked. Charlie was actually able to reach to the stairs and since they hadn't turned on all of the lights he was covered in darkness the instant he hit the stairs. Charlie crept up the stairs while cheerfully thinking _I should probably try spying after this apparently I'm good at getting around without being noticed._ Charlie grabbed a clean shirt from his dresser and switched his torn up shorts for ones that were made that way. For some reason nothing had changed since he had been in here last. He made bandages for his feet out of a few silk scarves from the costumes his aunts used to give him. He wrapped a tan light jacket around his body (which went well with his tan shorts and white shirt). He also switched his underwear and grabbed an extra pair which he stuck in his pocket. He might as well be prepared to wait out the Bloors he reasoned as he climbed out the window.

_Finally I feel clean. _Charlie was shining as he climbed down the chestnut tree. _Well other than the facts that I'm tan and my hair went straight I look exactly the same. _ Charlie glanced down at himself. When Charlie stood in a foot away from the front door of number nine it swung open. Charlie turned his head slowly with his foot stopped in midstep.

Both groups froze as the clock struck twelve. As it struck a change came over Charlie. He set his foot down and turned towards the Bloors who were watching in astonishment. Charlie found his body moving towards the light. He seemed to have lost control of his body. With each stroke of the clock the closer he came into the light from the porch. When the last chime had been struck Charlie's entire body was in the light with his face turned up towards the Bloors. The Bloors stared at the tanned, chapped face of Charlie Bone.

After about three seconds sense came back to Charlie. "Wha- What was I-?" He asked himself before he pulled back into the shadow. Charlie ran across the empty street.

"Catch him Weedon!" Ezekiel screeched from his wheelchair.

Weedon ran around the wheelchair and after the newly tanned twelve year old boy. Even with his new muscles that had formed on Charlie's arms and legs he was still no match for the handyman. Soon Charlie was being dragged to the porch of number nine. They were halfway there when Charlie slipped out of his jacket and ran away with adrenaline increasing his speed.

There was at least twenty feet between the two running figures and the gap was increasing. Weedon was ready to give up when a gray cloth shot out and busied itself by engulfing Charlie in worm like strings. They seemed to be growing in size and strength as the seconds went by.

Charlie's entire torso was now covered. He was lying in the middle of the road, rolling over and over, trying to get the rope thick strings off. "Venetia!" Charlie growled as he pushed his arms away from his body.

"Nice shot." Dr. Bloor and Manfred appraised Venetia who had indeed been the one who threw the strangling grey cloth.

"Caught the little twerp!" Lucretia boasted evilly.

Weedon had stopped running after a gray thing had flown at the boy. Now he was walking slowly as if to drive the boy to insanity through fear as each step became closer and closer. Charlie turned his face to the handyman and glared as he forced his arms several inches away from his body.

The gap between Charlie and a murderer had been cut in half. Charlie closed his eyes and brought the most outraging thought to his head. With a loud yell Charlie broke the grey strings off his torso. All of the onlookers widened their eyes in shock except Venetia who was angry that the precious enchanted cloth, that she had spent two days of her spare time on, had just been torn to pieces.

Charlie scrambled to his feet and with a genius amount of timing. Charlie was able to swerve and zigzag away from Weedon. He was hidden in the middle an alleyway trying to catch his breath over a block away from Filbert Street.

Charlie didn't dare breathe as the handyman walked past the alleyway he was hiding in. After ten minutes Weedon turned back to Filbert Street. Charlie could hear him with his newly high tuned senses. "I'm sorry sir. I seem to have lost him."

"Don't worry. I have a strong feeling he'll be back." Ezekiel whispered so quietly that Charlie couldn't hear it.

"Let's go back for now." Dr. Bloor ordered. The Bloors walked slowly to their car as if they were disappointed.

Charlie waited for the sound of the car leaving the driveway then he made his way out of the alleyway. "I can't go home tonight. They may come back. Guess I'll have to sleep in the forest tonight." Charlie said to himself. "Again." He sighed as he made his way back to the trees.


	4. Discovered & Trapped

Charlie awoke in the forest not knowing how he had gotten back there. Then he recalled the series of unfortunate circumstances last night. "Oh, yeah." Charlie groaned. "The Bloors were at my house. I think it'll be better to try and sneak back in when it's dark tonight especially with Grandma Bone there." Charlie mumbled.

A bird call brought Charlie out of his thoughts. His head shot up and spotted a brown sparrow circling the forest. Charlie remembered seeing the exact same bird three days ago. _Nah, I must have imagined it._ _There's no way I'm being followed by a bird._ Charlie headed to the nearest restaurant to get a real meal for the first time in ten days.

***

"I can't find him _anywhere_!" Emma rasped in her aunt's bookshop to Tancred, Lysander, Gabriel, Benjamin, Olivia, Paton Yewbeam, Maisie, and her aunt. Emma had made a habit of using every spare moment to use her endowment and search for Charlie. A depressing aura entered the room. "Oh." Everyone moaned in unison their voices low with disappointment.

"We can't give up just yet. I have a question for you all. Will you listen to it?" Paton said with a loud but depressed voice. There was a grunt of agreement from the boys and nods from the girls including the women as well. "Will be satisfied with just this or will you fight for him until you see a body? Will you sit in despair or continue on and do as he wished us to do?" Paton asked solemnly.

"We'll fight and we won't give in." Lysander said firmly. The endowed gave a murmur of agreement. Everyone else just nodded their heads sadly.

"The best thing I can suggest is that we rely on Emma to keep on searching. We're sorry to put such a heavy burden on you Emma but we have no other choice. The rest of us will keep our eyes and ears open for any news about Charlie." Paton apologized. "Now as for the endowed excluding Emma she has enough to do already. You need to keep an eye on the Bloors. Find out what their next plan is. As for us adults we'll think of something to do about Billy in the mean time. Agreed?"

"Agreed." Everyone said a little more cheerfully with their sadness lifting slightly with the assurance that they could actually do something more useful than wait around for news about Charlie.

***

Night had begun to return to Filbert Street and Charlie had the satisfaction of his belly being full of food instead of growling for it. Charlie was sitting the chestnut tree next to his window wondering whether or not he should enter now or wait for a later time. Before Charlie could decide an angry scream broke him out of his thoughts.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" Grandma Bone screamed up at him making him jump. "THIS IS PRIVATE PROPERTY! GET OUT OF HER BEFORE I CALL THE POLICE TO REMOVE YOU!" Charlie scrambled down the tree and raced down the street. "AND DON'T COME BACK!" She screamed after him failing to recognize the features of the boy from last night and her changed grandson. Charlie reached the end of Filbert Street before he turned back to see his grandmother slam the door.

_I guess I'd better hang around else where for a while. I'll come back at nine. _Charlie consulted his watch. Nine o'clock was two hours away. He could last being away from home that long. He knew he could especially since he had been forced to be out for the length of almost two entire weeks. Charlie wandered off in the direction of High Street and Dragon Street.

As Charlie turned off Filbert Street a black with smoke glassed windows came down the other end of Filbert Street. It pulled to a stop in front of number nine the house across from the empty driveway of number 12.

The empty driveway was the reason Charlie had been in the tree instead of hiding in some alley. He had seen it and had instantly tried to see if Benjamin was home but then it had hit him. It was Saturday. The Browns often went to a movie or had some exciting family event on Saturday.

Mr. Weedon came out of the driver's seat of the car and held the door open for each of the passengers. A with gray hair and a straight mustache, a young adult with a wispy mustache like his father and grey-streaked hair, and lastly a middle aged woman with iron-grey hair in a bun. All but one had come out of the car. Weedon opened the trunk pulling out a collapsible wheelchair out for the last and only handicapped passenger. "Put it in the house." A saw-like voice screeched. While the janitor was obeying the order the young adult mumbled to his father, "The Browns are gone."

"That makes it all the better. Now when we get that boy there'll be no one to witness his kidnapping. Just like last night." Dr. Bloor replied with an evil smile on his face.

"Fair point." Manfred agreed taking his eyes off of number twelve and followed his father inside of number nine. Mr. Weedon a man with a red irritated face carried out a man in his one hundredth and second year. All passengers from the car were dressed head to foot in black.

Once inside Weedon was ordered back outside to move the car to a backstreet a block away from Filbert Street. The handyman returned and after spending an hour of talking he was ordered turned the lights off leaving the inhibiters in candlelight.

"Remind me again why we have to sit in the dark." Manfred said annoyed.

"We have no idea when the boy will be back. We're giving off the fake reassurance that we aren't here. He'll come faster and we can witness his capturing instead of waiting for news. Also we have 100% certainty that we'll catch him this time." Ezekiel Bloor explained confidently. His hands were shaking with anxiety. Ezekiel had been the only one last night that had come to the conclusion that the tanned smooth black-haired boy may be Charlie Bone. All he needed was to see the boy's face up close once more and he would be certain.

Outside the window a figure could be seen dashing across Filbert Street. It took refuge behind a car at number ten. If the Bloors had been paying attention they would have notice it inching closer to number nine.

The group froze as they heard a key turn in the lock of back door. "Weedon go." Dr. Bloor ordered quietly gesturing towards the kitchen.

Weedon strode as fast and as quietly as possible. He slid through the kitchen door. It closed behind just as the back door opened. The kitchen's candles were unlit. A small figure stumbled through the dark. When Weedon took a step forward it froze. It kept glancing back at the door it had just come through as if it were debating whether or not it should just leave and not come back.

Weedon held his breath and waiting for the figure to come to him before he would strike. The figure shook its head and continued forward careful not to make a sound. The figure had almost reached the kitchen door when he was pounced on. Arms of steel wrapped him up in a bear crunch. He gave a cry of horror and pain as his lungs had the air crushed out of them. Soon the figure went limp.

Weedon carried the child into the living room where the lights had been turned back on. A gasp resounded through the room as they compared the tanned boy's face to their memory of Charlie Bone. He had been changed dramatically but a few of his features were still recognizable.

Ezekiel gave a sigh of, "Finally. Grizelda pack up the boy's things. He's moving in with me. Lucretia help her." Both ladies left the room and Weedon set the boy down on the now empty couch. Ezekiel rolled his wheelchair closer. He touched the boy's face and brushed his fingers through the amazingly smooth hair. "It's unbelievable how much a child can change when they're left alone." Ezekiel mumbled.

"I can't believe that's really him but it is." Manfred whispered starring at the tanned charred face of the lost youth.

"Where are we going to keep him grandfather?" Dr. Bloor asked.

"In my quarters at first. If he's cooperative he'll be in the room next to me. If he's not well you'll find out along with him now won't you?" Ezekiel said mysteriously.

During the twenty minutes it took for the ladies to gather Charlie's things Ezekiel didn't leave the boy's side once. Manfred and Dr. Bloor had gotten bored after a few minutes of staring. They had made a game of guessing what their grandfather would do to Charlie if he refused them. Ezekiel ignored them during the entire game refusing to give any clues as to what he would do.

"Here it is." Lucretia declared as she threw two suitcases down on the floor. Grizelda came down with a duffle bag by her hip.

"What's in there?" Manfred asked wondering why a twelve year old boy would need three suitcases worth of stuff.

"Bathroom things, a flashlight, etc. Grizelda grumbled. "And I found this." Grizelda held up the Welsh-English dictionary Charlie had been keeping secret for over a year.

"Well what do you know? The twerp's learn a third language." Manfred pocketed the book with the boy's wand in mind. "By the way why does he need two suitcases of clothes?"

"One's school clothes the other's weekend clothes." Lucretia explained dully.

"Let's go." Ezekiel confirmed their leave. Weedon carried the suitcases, the wheelchair, and his boss outside. Everyone else tumbled into the car even Grizelda came along.

No one spoke during the drive. The car pulled to a stop in front of an old, grey, five-floor building. This was the place where the boy's fate would be decided. Would he give in or would he fight and go through hellish pain again? The only one who could answer that question was dead to the world.

**Next Chapter ****The Danger of Going Against the Tide.**** Coming Very Soon.**


	5. The Danger of Going Against the Tide

Joshua Tilpin a small weedy boy peered through a window on the third floor of Bloor's Academy. He watched as a tall burly bald man reached into the car and pulled out a smaller figure than the one he had just brought into the academy. Joshua knew the first person that was carried in had been Ezekiel Bloor but he was awestruck when he saw the second. He knew the Bloors wanted Charlie but the boy that was being carried in by Weedon looked nothing like the hedge-haired, stubborn boy Joshua knew.

Joshua ran to the staircase and stumbled down it. When he reached the second floor the Bloors were already there. Dr. Bloor was holding his grandfather for the meantime. "Who's that?" He growled.

"For now it's none of your business. We'll tell you when it involves you." Manfred replied coldly blocking Charlie's tanned face from Joshua's view.

Joshua just shrugged his shoulders he had only been the third floor because his mother wanted to know if the plan had worked. Joshua went back to the attic where his mom was waiting with a newly discovered spell book that might help repair the Mirror of Amoret. Joshua was just hoping he wouldn't have to dance more horrible dances because of Charlie Bone.

Thirty minutes after Charlie had been settled down which meant that he was thrown on the bed full clothed and had a blanket throw over him. Everyone decided it would be better if they went to sleep instead of spending countless hours wishing for sleep and staring into the face of a boy who might not wake until morning. Weedon was sent to lock all the exits to prevent the recently found boy from escaping. With that everyone went to bed including Lucretia and Grizelda who were invited to be there when the boy was interviewed. Interviewed was putting it mildly. Most likely the Charlie would be tortured into giving information or coming to their side.

Hours later Charlie awoke with a cry of horror. The memory of being attacked had been replaying in his head as a dream. Sweat covered his body and his breathing was erratic. Charlie froze when he heard a voice grumbled in the other room. Charlie pressed the light button on his watch. It was past three in the morning.

Charlie was about to lie back down and go to sleep when he hurriedly pressed the light button again using its small beam to look around the room. This wasn't _his _room he realized. The furniture was different and the air in the room smelled different from what his room smelt like.

Charlie leaped to his feet. He was glad for that fact that his shoes were still on. It made it easier to run away that way. He pressed his hands against the wall searching for a light switch when he remembered the voice from earlier. Who was in the room next to him?

Charlie felt all the way around the walls trying to find an exit other than going into the room with the mysterious occupant. He found that this room only had one window and two doors. Charlie tried the first door and it wouldn't budge. Not an inch. With his watch light he found that someone had two boards on the door one above and below the door knob.

_I'd better see who's in the other room before I try the window. I might not have to use the window that way._ Charlie tiptoed to the other door. He opened it a crack peering in and he nearly slammed it shut again. He was next to _Ezekiel's_ room. Charlie had to force himself to close the door slowly.

Charlie chanced another peek. He stared at the silhouette of Ezekiel Bloor. The only way Charlie had recognized him was the back of his nearly bald head. Charlie's eye explored the room. He noticed that something was glowing under the old man's bed. Charlie frowned in disgust as something moved inside of the glowing jar. Something was floating inside it. Charlie turned away. _I don't even want to guess. I wish I knew if Mr. Ezekiel was a light sleeper or not. I'll chance the window I guess._

With that Charlie made his way to the window which was above the bed. He unlatched the window and stepped out into the cool night air. He looked down and almost fell the thirty-six feet to the ground. He quickly pressed his back up against the wall and grabbed the edge of the windowsill._ This room looked pretty high up when I was on the ground but I didn't know it was so high up._ Charlie felt his sweat pour out of his body. Charlie watched in horror and amazement a drop of his sweat fly towards the ground. _Dang that's a long way. Maybe this isn't such a good idea. I have no idea how I'm going to get down and I don't dare let go of this windowsill. _Charlie thought terrified. _I'd rather chance going through Mr. Ezekiel's room than do this_. Charlie slowly made his way back into the room.

Charlie sat on the unmade bed panting. _I have to calm down if I want to make it through Mr. Ezekiel's room undetected._ Charlie squeezed his arms against his body to stop them from trembling. After ten minutes of deep breathing Charlie's nerves were back to normal.

The door creaked as Charlie gradually opened it. Charlie slipped through it and quietly closed it behind him. Once he was in the room he busied himself by taking his shoes off. He tied his shoelaces together and put the string around his neck keeping his hands free. He kept his socks on to deaden the sound of his footsteps.

Charlie crept closer to the door which for some reason also happened to be closer to the bed holding Ezekiel Bloor. _Oh MAN! Why does his bed have to be right next to the door?_ The room wasn't narrow but the space between the doorframe and the wall next to it was just able to fit a queen size bed inside the gap with the bed frame against the wall. _If I open the door too much it'll hit bed and wake him up also if I fall near the door I'll hit his feet waking him up. This SUCKS. Not to mention it's extremely risky. It's now or never._

Charlie took a step forward and ended up landing heavily on his back on the floor. Charlie took a glance at his feet and noticed a jar. _So much for keeping quiet and remaining unnoticed._ Charlie thought bitterly as he waited to see if he had caused Ezekiel to wake up. Charlie heard the old man shift in his bed but from the sound of things the old man had remained asleep.

Charlie brought himself to a sitting position and set the empty jar by the door he had come out of. _Now let's try this __**again**__._ He thought as he carefully got to his feet. Charlie concentrated on his feet as he moved closer to the door. Thing was he concentrated too much.

Charlie gave a gasp of surprise as his head the door sending him off balance. Charlie turned sharply instinctively towards something that would help him catch his balance. Before Charlie knew it his hands were set down on the bed of Ezekiel Bloor with the owner of Bloor's Academy's feet in spaced in between Charlie's spread out hands. Charlie realized with horror that his carelessness had caused Ezekiel to stir. _Please don't wake up. __**PLEASE**__ do NOT wake up! _Charlie silently prayed with his heart thumping loudly in his chest as Mr. Ezekiel started moving under him. Charlie had a frightful feeling that the old man could hear it and would awaken any second. _Oh this is great I basically just dug my own grave __**literally**__._ Charlie scolded himself.

Charlie gave a sigh of relief when he saw that the old man's eyes hadn't been opened when the old man turned over. He pulled back slowly careful not to bump the legs of the sleeping occupant. Charlie had heard the phrase too close for comfort but this was the first time he had actually experienced it…Alone anyways.

_This sneaking around stuff is really hard because it makes you need the bathroom really bad when something actually happens._ Charlie clenched his legs together as he made his way into the hall hoping he would be able to find a bathroom fast. He was lucky he was able to find it on the third try.

When Charlie finished washing his hands he got the first look of what his face now looked like. He nearly jumped out of his skin as he stared at his face. His lips were chapped and his face was peeling. The first night he had come back home his face had finished peeling or so he thought. Spending the night out in the open and sleeping until the afternoon had made the peeling reappear not to mention get worse. Last time it had peeling in big chunks but now they were tiny and the skin under it was irritated making a layer of red on top of the new brown. _It's almost a miracle that I recognized myself. Geez. Well at least now I know where I am. The question is how am I going to get out?_

Charlie spent the next hour and a half searching for an exit. Finding none Charlie slumped as he walked back up the stairs to the second floor. Then a thought hit him. What if he climbed out of one of the windows on the first floor? It was worth a try.

Charlie stepped once again out into the cool night air and his eyes met a scene of absolute horror. The only thought that could come to his head was _HOLY __**CRAP!**_ There were two rows of dogs with sharp bared teeth and the smallest of them was a Saint Dane. Charlie froze then tried to move towards then gate. The instant he moved the first line of dogs growled bringing their paws down in a territorial manner. Charlie dared to move again unknowing that the Bloors had soaked his shirt and pants in a liquid that gave off a scent that was made to attract dogs. When he moved the dogs lunged at him. Charlie flung himself back into Bloor's Academy.

Charlie slammed the window shut in the faces of the dogs and latched it closed. The motion caused flyers pinned to the wall to rustle. One of them caught his eye. It read: **Want a place to keep your dog for the night? Contact Bloor's we'll keep them for you for free. This week only!** Charlie gave a grunt of frustration as he tore the flyer into pieces. They had had this entire thing planned the instant they discovered he had gotten separated from Uncle Paton.

Charlie was the kind to give up easily. He was about to begin searching again when an enormous wave of fatigue hit him. Before he could even make a move to the staircase to reach the boy's dormitory on the next floor his body collapsed under him. His eyes quickly closed and he was soon asleep having no idea that the dehydration from the past two weeks had caused him to become overly tired. The injuries and physical exhaustion helped increase his sleepiness.

The next morning Charlie awoke in the same bed as last night. He brought his watch to his sleepy eyes. It was already past noon. Normally this would bother Charlie that he had slept for so long but all he wanted right now was to go right back to sleep.

He had just barely closed his eyes when a voice said, "And here we thought you were never going to wake up." Charlie was too tired to even open his eyes to see who it was or to even try to recognize the voice.

Charlie felt sleep closing in on him when an enormous pain in his foot made him wide awake. Charlie jolted to brace his foot when the image that met his eyes made him freeze with his hands reaching for his foot. Sleep was now the farthest thing from his mind.

Ezekiel was in a wheelchair at the foot of his bed with the boy's foot in his hand and some indentifying liquid smothered over a rag. The boy's shoes, socks, and last resorted bandages had been removed. Strangely smoke was emitting from the wounds of Charlie's foot.

If Charlie had been in front of anyone else he would have been screaming from the pain that was emitting from his wounds. But Charlie refused to show anyone of the Bloors or anyone that associated with them that he was in pain. He held his face in a solid mask as the pain became worse and the smoke increased.

When Charlie almost certain that the entire bottom of his foot had been burned to the bone a real machine-cut bandage was wrapped around his foot and the pain wasn't even half of what it had once been. It had been dulled to an ache like the muscles in his feet had been lifting individual weights.

A new rag was handed to Ezekiel by Weedon and it too was smothered with the green liquid. Then the excruciating process was repeated on Charlie other poor foot. When the climax of pain hit Charlie couldn't stop himself from biting his lip hard enough to draw blood. Apart from that Charlie allowed no other movement to cross his face.

"I must admit that you've gotten quite a bit tougher over the last two weeks." Dr. Bloor said behind Weedon's bent over figure. He was in an armchair watching the medical process with dull yet interested eyes. Charlie took a better look behind Ezekiel. Manfred was standing beside Dr. Bloor's chair with a look of discomfort on his face.

"Your feet are disgusting you know that." Manfred said. His voice seemed strained.

"I wouldn't know. It's kind of hard to watch the process. Didn't know I was supposed to have eyes on butt. Oh wait I wouldn't be able to see it then either." Charlie muttered sarcastically.

"Forgive us for not recording it." Ezekiel chuckled. His tone turned serious as he asked, "Are you ready to stand together in power boy?" Charlie didn't answer he just glared at the old man. "We'll see if spending some time alone in the ruin will change your mind. Weedon take him."

Charlie's face remained expressionless as he was carried out of the room full of Bloors and into the same dungeon (as the Bloor's called it) that Henry had been in. "Okay this is my stop." Charlie mocked as he squirmed out of Weedon's arms. Weedon gave the boulder an enormous heave after he had shoved Charlie inside the two foot gap that had been made earlier by the Branko twins and slid into place leaving a small crack that barely let any sunlight in.

**I'll update soon. **


	6. Changing

On Monday night after three hundred children had poured into the empty Bloor's Academy and had sat in the cafeteria. Children began to notice (mostly the endowed) that the headmaster seemed quite satisfied with something.

The same thought ran through the good endowed children's heads. _They have him. _Tancred wasn't included in those children. Paton had decided to keep Tancred's revival a secret from the Bloors until it was necessary for the boy to go back. Which meant that word came of Charlie's survival or he appeared in Bloors Tancred would return to Bloors to help the poor fellow. (As he put it.) Right now Tancred was at his house waiting for news just like the _adults_.

When the endowed children met in the red king's room ahead of the others a problem hit them. "We know his alive but we have no idea where he is." Emma said keep her voice down in case anyone was near the door.

"We'll have to find him then." Gabriel stated.

Lysander took over from there. "Emma tonight you search the grounds with your endowment. Stick to searching the outside. If you find something that gives us an idea of where he is we'll meet again at the collapsed ruin wall. If you can't find anything stand by a tree tomorrow during break. If nothing is found Gabriel, Olivia, and I will search inside. Emma you'll have to fill Olivia in with the plan. I'll ask if Fidelio can help. You'll also have to take another look around tomorrow as well just to be safe. I'm sorry we have to rely on you like this." Lysander planned out.

"No, it's fine. We all help when we can." Emma mumbled shyly.

Lysander nodded. "Now if after that we can't find Charlie we keep searching. Agreed?"

"Agreed." Everyone else swiftly whispered as Manfred walked in the door.

"What are you lot whispering about?" He grumbled moving towards his seat.

"We were wondering if the headmaster got a haircut." Lysander lied coolly.

"Why?"

"He looks different that's all." Emma said casually as she opened her books.

"Whatever." Manfred growled as everyone else entered the room.

After homework Emma slipped under her bed and transformed into the brown sparrow she had been favoring for a while now. Olivia held the window open as the bird flew swiftly out the window. She would delay the matron when she came in to turn off the lights. Emma had figured the earlier she started the more time she'd have to search.

Emma soared over the courtyard turning her beak this way and that searching for anything unusual. She found nothing and she flew over to the ruin. She noticed that the boulder over the far left entrance had been moved. Emma could swear that the boulder had been standing off to the side on Friday when she had searched the school grounds.

Emma searched until the sky turned black which was near midnight. Emma gave up knowing searching when she couldn't see anything didn't do anyone any good. She heaved a sigh as she headed back to Bloor's searching for an open window.

After she circled the building five times horror struck her. There _wasn't_ one open. She circled the building over and over again searching for the girls' dormitory window. With her heart pounding wildly she flew. She began to panic as she passed by the same similar small dark windows. Emma settled herself on a windowsill panting franticly. _How am I supposed to find the dorm in pure darkness?_ She asked herself. She took a step back and she was _falling._ Emma tried franticly to catch air in her wings but her fear seemed to freeze her bird body. _I'm going to die!_ The thought zipped through her head right as she hit solid ground.

Realization hit her as she glanced around at her surroundings. She had mistaken the dark window for a closed one. She was inside a room with dusty furniture. Even the bed hadn't been spared from the layers upon layers of dust and cobwebs. Emma gave a sigh of relief as she transformed back into a girl.

The next day at first break Emma stood next to the most visible tree from any place in the garden.

***

It was Wednesday. Three days had passed since Charlie had been imprisoned in the ruin. During those three days he had refused to eat the food or drink the water that the Bloors gave him. With those three days Charlie thought and cried over Tancred thinking it was his fault. _If I hadn't told him to trade Dagbert's charm for Claerwen he wouldn't be dead._ Charlie felt a shadow enter his heart and he felt empty. He refused to eat allowing the emptiness to fill his entire body. Charlie didn't know it but he was falling into depression and with the depression came even darker thoughts, ones of hatred and loathing.

He now wondered why he hadn't been found by his friends and family yet. Why hadn't his family been home when he needed them? Did they really give up so easily while he tried over and over again until he saved someone? Did he need to be there always to set things in motion? Right now Charlie didn't care all he cared was that he had spent fourteen days alone in constant mortal danger and not one of them had been there to help him.

Charlie felt the darkness closing in on him. He heaved himself up the steps to peer through the crack just to see the sunshine when he heard footsteps approaching. Charlie scrambled away from the boulder. He was in the farthest corner of the dungeon when the rock grinded against the wall raining dust and pebbles. The rings that Henry had had were missing. Charlie could only infer that this was a different dungeon.

Light flooded into the dungeon revealing Charlie's thinning frame. His shorts were torn in several places, his jacket was gone, and his white shirt had turned a nasty dark brown color. His face was smeared with dirt and sweat. His teeth were slightly yellow. His had three layers of dirt covering him darkening his skin color and his hair had lost its shine.

"Why aren't you eating?" A voice growled. The sunlight was too harsh on Charlie's eyes making the person blur into just a distorted figure. Charlie had a hand raised in front of his eyes. He peered through his fingers waiting for his eyes to finish dilating. The voice got impatient. "ANSWER ME!" It screamed at Charlie.

Charlie flinched, the volume harsh on his high toned ears. "What do you care?" Charlie asked with his hand still in front of his face.

"THAT'S NOT AN ANSWER!" Charlie's eyes finally adjusted to reveal a red faced Manfred walking down the stone steps.

"Don't want to. That's an answer so ha." Charlie countered.

An evil smile crossed the face of Manfred Bloor. "Do you really think we're going to let you out of here just because you won't eat huh?" He asked mockingly. Charlie remained silent. "Let me tell you right here and now that we don't care if you eat willingly. All we have to do is force you. So question is do you want to be force fed, hooked up to an IV, or you can feed yourself. Now what'll it be."

"Do think I'm stupid enough to believe that you actually care what my choice is?" Charlie glared at Manfred.

"True I don't but if you don't eat the food we give you tonight Mr. Weedon will be all so glad to do the favor for you." Manfred sneered as he strode up the stairs. With that Charlie was left to sink back into darkness.

That night the food outside the closed cave was left untouched. Inside Bloor's Academy the Bloors were once again having a meeting.

"Has he eaten yet Manfred?" Dr. Bloor boomed his voice resounding off the walls of the king's room. The door was locked and it was past lights out.

"No he hasn't made a sound since I talked to him either." Manfred said simply. "So when do you we find out if he's changed his mind?" He growled annoyed of the constant late nights and no extra time to sleep.

"We'll pull him out at the end of the week on Friday after all the students have left. Especially those other meddling children." Ezekiel screeched.

"That may be too long grandfather. That girl's been flying across the grounds everyday. She may catch on. We should move him. Soon." Dr. Bloor muttered rubbing his chin.

***

The next morning Charlie was awoken roughly by being yanked backwards. Charlie gave a grunt of pain as his back was slammed into what seemed a wall. But of course it wasn't a wall. It was the handyman Weedon and he seemed even more irritated than usual. Charlie's hands were torn behind his back and strapped together. Charlie couldn't tell if it was rope or tape. His food deprived body could no longer tell.

A hand clamped around Charlie's jaw and forced it open. A bottle was forced in between his lips. Charlie gagged on it sending half of the water out of his nose. Weedon didn't let go but continued forcing more and more liquid into the boy's mouth.

The bottle was emptied painfully slowly. When Weedon released him Charlie's throat ached and the muscles in his jaw felt like that they had almost been torn in two. Charlie fought to keep the water down. His body no longer used to the feeling of having anything inside his stomach.

Charlie sat coughing as Weedon traded the empty water bottle for fruit. Charlie saw out of the corner of his eye that all of the foods on the food pyramid were there making a small mountain of food. After an hour the entire mountain had been forced down Charlie's gullet along with three more bottles of water.

Charlie lay huddled up in a ball when it was all over. His arms had been released and he had been given a hand-me-down blanket. His stomach ached horribly and his jaw made up for the pain he wasn't feeling in his stomach. He could feel the food tumbling around his stomach. Now it was moving swiftly to his mouth. Charlie crawled as quickly as possible to a crack in the cave wall that was just barely big enough for Charlie to wiggle through.

Charlie spewed out half of everything that had been put in his mouth that entire day onto the dirt covered rock. It was torture to see all of the food that Charlie had literally been pained to put inside him come out all in five seconds.

Charlie slid himself away from the rancid smelling pool of vomit. He cuddled up in a ball in the middle of the floor and fell asleep.

That night after Charlie had been force-fed again he returned to the crack to empty his aching gut once again. The Bloors didn't know that once a body had been deprived of food it rejected food if too much was given and they were giving Charlie too much.

Charlie was yelling in pain in between his retching. A bird swerved off course forty feet above the closed cave entrance. It dove sharply zipping towards the ruin wall. It perched on an aged rust colored wall. There it waited as if it was listening to every sound in the night life trying to find a certain one.

When Charlie gave a scream of pain again it took off in alarm. Charlie crawled out of the crack and dragged himself to the entrance to stare at the moon. It was full tonight. Charlie caught sight of a brown sparrow soaring around Bloor's Academy. He found himself watching it spin around the school over and over until he fell asleep to the soft rhythm.

The next morning Manfred was on watch during break and he noted that Emma Tolly was sitting on a rock next to the collapsed ruin wall that the Branko twins had destroyed last winter. He smirked as the meddling gang flocked to her when they caught his gaze he dropped his smile and went off to scold a kid who had forgotten his tie.

"I heard Charlie's voice last night. He's trapped in the far left dungeon. I would never be able to lift that rock alone." Emma informed her friends.

"Hmm, my ancestors may be able to move it for us. I'll take Fidelio with me in case we need to carry Charlie out of there." Lysander stated.

"Why Fidelio?" Olivia asked her hands on her hips offended that she didn't get to help save Charlie.

"The Bloors won't pay attention if a not endowed child sneaks out at night. Olivia I need you to make an illusion for me."

"Of what?" Olivia bounced over to his side wanting to be of help.

"Me. I need you to put an illusion in the boys' dorm of me in my bed. They won't suspect a thing that way."

"That's a little disappointing but okay. Which bed do you sleep in?" Olivia asked remembering from her many exploring that the boys' dorm was exactly like the girls.

"Third from the left." Lysander said as the bell rang.

That night Lysander and Fidelio slipped out the garden door in their pajamas with their capes to keep them warm in the cool night. They hadn't bothered to bring flashlights. There was no need. A full moon covered the ruin in stripes of light.

"Let's hurry it's spooky out here." Fidelio whispered. Lysander smiled comfortingly. They trudged through bushes and bristles. Both were glad they had put their sneakers on.

Soon they were in front of the dungeon. The sound of drums filled the air. Ghost like figures appeared. This time the spears, swords, and shields were absent. Six African warriors heaved the boulder back from the entrance. They had lifted it which made the extra five men necessary when it only took one to roll it.

The moon shone light directly into the cave. It was empty. "NO!" Fidelio cried. "He's supposed to be here. Where is he?"

"We're too late." Lysander mumbled his spirits broken.

**Sorry this took so long. It took me a while to find the right way to word it. **


	7. A Stone Heart

Charlie awoke in a gas lit room. He was lying on a hard wood table. There was a light right above his head. He gave a low groan raising his hand to his eyes. "_Quiet_, boy." A raspy voice snapped. A strong hand grabbed Charlie's and placed it back down on the table. Charlie didn't resist he felt too weak. He seemed to be in a worse condition than when he was starving himself. After just lifting his arm to his face his entire body ached like he had run a marathon and gone to a weight lifting competition striving to be the winner.

Charlie's eyes were slits. He couldn't open them any farther. They were too heavy. "How do you feel?" A feminine voice asked behind his head. _I can't even bring my lips to move to answer you. How do you think I feel?_ Charlie thought bitterly. Charlie tried to say something but his mouth seemed to be disconnected from his brain. All that came out was "Ah, ah, ah." He sounded like a new born baby with a cold.

"Leave him be Grizelda. He won't be able to talk for at least another two days." A voice boomed on Charlie's left. Charlie felt cold. He hoped he wasn't naked. It was kind of embarrassing to be naked in front of his mom to be naked in front of his grandmother was almost triple the embarrassment.

Cold liquid was forced into Charlie's mouth. "It's water boy. _Drink._" A hand raised Charlie's head slightly off the table. Charlie started to gulp down the water. "Slowly." The same voice ordered.

Charlie obeyed trying not to let one drop of it get away from his begging mouth. When he was finished he felt somewhat refreshed. "What's the plan now that he's awake?" A gruff voice asked.

A screeching one that Charlie knew could only belong to Mr. Ezekiel responded, "We take care of him until his voice comes back then it's up to him what happens next."

For the next four days Charlie was pampered and fed by others. To his embarrassment Weedon had to help him use the bathroom. Charlie was walking with more confidence in his step everyday. His strength was returning and everyone knew it.

The next day Charlie was brought to Mr. Ezekiel's room. He was walking now but he was still a little wobbly on his feet. He would most likely be on crutches if he had been home. Since Mr. Ezekiel didn't have an extra cane Charlie was allowed to use his wheelchair for the time being. Charlie didn't know if that was a good or bad thing.

All of the Bloors and Yewbeams (excluding Paton) were present. Normally Charlie would be intimidated by them especially since he was completely alone. They couldn't be scarier than being attacked by a bear could they?

"Now with your strength returning you have a decision to make. Join us or be the cause of your parents' death." Dr. Bloor threatened his face serious.

"You don't even know where they are." Charlie said defiantly. "But I can't risk them being hurt." Charlie whispered to himself. "What's the catch?"

"Catch?" Manfred growled. "You help us we help you by letting your parents live. If you don't you watch them die. It's that simple."

Charlie knew far too well how simple things could someone's life a living hell, especially when those simple things were in the hands of the Bloors and his Yewbeam aunts. Billy had once made a sort of deal with the Bloors and now he was trapped in the past with an enchanter with power that could only be contained by one person. The Red King now known as the Red Knight. The Red Knight had saved Charlie three times already. After Charlie's last encounter he felt guilty for ever thinking that the brave knight was ever an imposter.

Positives and negatives of the situation flew through Charlie's head. The positives won with the fact that if the Bloors didn't know where his parents were they could ask Dagbert or Lord Grimwald to drown them. "I refuse." Charlie said firmly.

"That doesn't matter. You will be enrolling back into school on Monday. That gives you two days to get your strength back. Now go back to your room." Dr. Bloor boomed. Charlie wobbled once he got to his feet but he refuse to let his legs shake the rest of the way. Once Charlie was past the doorway Mr. Weedon slammed the door behind him and locked it.

Charlie didn't hear the lock clicking. He was leaning against the wall holding his head. He felt dizzy and his vision was blurring. Images popped up in his head. They were like looking at pictures that were taken when someone was shaking the camera. Charlie gave a groan of pain and the images cleared.

Charlie saw Tancred lying in bed. It was obviously that he was dead. His hair seemed faded. His entire body wasn't moving. Tancred's father the thunder man was sitting by the bed squeezing his son's hand. Mrs. Torsson was standing behind him tears were rolling heavily down her cheeks landing on her husband's back. She had her arms wrapped around the thunder man's neck. She glanced at her boy's dead face and the tears increased.

There was a growl and the vision widened. The growl had come from a copper-colored cat named Aries who was stepping through the door. Aries brothers Leo and Sagittarius were right behind him. The cats hopped up onto the bed. Leo tucked himself under the boy's hand purring deeply. Sagittarius rubbed against the boy's cold feet and Aries jumped up to the boy's head. He rubbed his cat face against the boy's cheek and gold dust appeared. It flowed in thin streams. The thunder man let go of his son's hand in amazement.

As the cats continued to purr the dust surrounded the boy in circles. It circled around the top of his head like a crown. It wrapped around both his ankles and his wrists. The growls became louder and the gold dust moved towards the boy's middle. Soon he was lifted half a foot of the bed the dust circling his waist, torso, hips, thighs, and biceps.

The cats gave a deep throaty growl and the dust turned into glowing rings. A ring had been added to the boy's forehead and his neck. The cats repeated the growl. The rings brightened to the light of a hundred watt light bulb. The married Torsson couple brought their hands to their eyes and turned their heads away unable to look at their glowing son.

The light turned into a flash so powerful the Torsson's neighbors a block away could see it. They awoke with a start and the brave ones raced to their windows. The top floor window was glaring light out of its window. The light more resemble lightning than the glow of a light bulb. The neighbors just stared even though their spouses were calling them back to bed.

Charlie couldn't see the neighbors. His vision blur for at least ten seconds. When it cleared up again Charlie could see that color had returned to Tancred's cheeks. The fourteen year old gave a groan and opened his eyes. "Mom? Dad?" Tancred mumbled as his body came back to life. As Tancred embraced his parents and his mom brush a hand through his blond spiky hair Charlie felt tears well up in his eyes. As the cats left the tears fell down Charlie's cheeks then the vision ended.

Charlie choked, "Tancred I'm so sorry." Even though the images in his head seemed to be so real Charlie refused to believe them to be true. His heart doubled in weight as the bits of the vision replayed over and over in head. Charlie couldn't get the image of Tancred coming back to life out of his head. The guilt and despair built up and Charlie gave a scream of pain worth a thousand heart breaks.

Neither the Bloors nor the Yewbeams heard the boy scream. They were all in the hardly used ballroom. That was where a meeting was taking place this time this meeting wasn't only about Charlie and his parents. It was about Billy and the will as well.

There was only one table full of people. Normally everyone on Piminy Street would have been invited to come but with the boy here it made them more precautious and secretive. Only a fourth of the occupants from Piminy Street were invited.

"Many of you are wondering why we only brought so few of you here. The answer is that we are holding a boy who is undecided in our quarters. He is very curious lad. We thought with fewer people here it wouldn't attract his attention as much." Dr. Bloor explained. "Now on to business, first I'd like to thank you for coming. Secondly we'd like you to ask you to pass on this discussion onto everyone who fits our cause."

"What exactly is your cause other than getting our Count Harken Badlock back into this world?" asked a woman with a wig of claret-colored ringlets named Dolores Slingshot. She had previously helped the Yewbeams attempt to catch Charlie and an imposter. The Bloors saw her as a worthy ally.

"I have shown most of you the Mirror of Amoret." Mrs. Tilpin said proudly as she brought out the jeweled mirror. She stood and raised it above her head to give her audience a good look at the beautiful but unfortunately cracked mirror. "I seek a way to fix it. Mr. Ezekiel said he would help me fix it but so far nothing has come of his word."

"I am old Titania my magic grows weaker the more I use it. There barely any left. Help me turn the boy to our side and we can use his." Ezekiel protested.

"What boy?" A sickly looking man asked.

"Charlie Bone. He is a picture traveler. A rare gift as you well know. We have him imprisoned here. He has been separated from his parents, most of his relatives, and his meddling friends. They all think he's dead. They must be so depressed from that Torsson boy's death as well." Ezekiel gave an sinister cackle. "Soon there will be no one in our way."

"That doesn't explain how he can fix the mirror." The same man stated.

"He has the blood of a Welsh wizard flowing through his veins." Manfred growled. "We've attempted to burn his wand but it turned into a moth. We caught it once in a jar. Unfortunately it was too clever to be in a cage. The boy doesn't have it now. It is of no consequence."

"Of no consequence? Didn't you say it was a wand? Won't the boy need it to be of use?" Dolores asked her foresight being the source of her questions.

"That may be so but it'll be easier to bring the boy to our cause if he doesn't have the help of _two_ magicians." Dr. Bloor said.

"Fair enough."

"I'd like to show something unique with the mirror." Mrs. Tilpin returned the attention to her. "Last time we spoke I told you of the boy in Badlock. Well now you get to see him. Behold an enchanted forest in Badlock." Titania turned the jeweled mirror towards the wall. A light was growing in the mirror's core. A movie like image appeared on the wall.

It was little eight year old Billy Raven. His hair bounced as he ran through the forest. He gave out of a roar that was a combination of what seemed to be every animal. All creatures responded to the call. Monkeys, tigers, bears, even lizards gathered around the boy.

"I thought you said it was an enchanted forest. It looks like a normal one to me." A red faced woman grumbled.

"It _is_. Those animals have been conjured for the boy's entertainment along with the forest." Titania Tilpin said offended that they would doubt her.

"And there he will stay never to receive his inheritance." Ezekiel cackled. "You see there is a will from my great-grandfather that leaves everything to Maybelle and her heirs. My great-aunt was a witch she poisoned Maybelle and left everything to my side of the family. The real will still exists and Lyell Bone knows where it is. He is whale-watching with his wife. We must make sure that the real will is found before Lyell returns. You, my friends, can help us."

"Find the will and destroy it. That is our second request for the few of you here. Make sure no one else finds it but us." Dr. Bloor said with firmness and encouragement.

"Check the Pets' Café' and in Ingledew's bookshop. Check every nick and cranny but make sure you make no mention of the Bone boy's location. They may know we have him but his appearance has changed greatly and we'd like to have him blend in among them."

"I like the way you think." A man cried. "I'll arrange for me and Amos Bryne here to check out the café."

"Good!" Ezekiel screeched.

"One last question what do we get if we find it?" Dolores asked freezing most of the people raised halfway out of their seats.

"6,000 pounds." A man cried.

"Wha-" Dr. Bloor started.

Ezekiel cut him off. "Agreed." He declared.

"Five hundred for trying." A woman cried like she was at an auction.

"Agreed." Dr. Bloor followed his grandfather's example knowing they would most likely never keep their word.

As the occupants of Piminy Street left no one noticed, not even Dolores Slingshot, a sense of darkness growing in Charlie's room. Charlie was sitting with his hands over his face. His body was shaking from his sobs and the sadness of the memory of his vision. Charlie's heart was beating rapidly but as the tears began to slow so did his heart rate. Soon his heart rate was that of an athlete slow and loud.

His tears hadn't stopped they continued to flow as he rose from the floor. His eyes were fierce with anger and his face was solid. He clenched his fists and his trembling along with his tears stopped.

Just like his grandmother before him Charlie had turned his heart to stone.

**I am sorry about the very late update. I have had writer's block. My next update will be **_**much**_** sooner. I have read the eighth book now. I am putting in a few pieces of it. Now you know why some if this is a little similar to the book. Tell me what you think. Please tell me whether you would prefer I used the same time line as the book, not at all, or a small mix of it.**


	8. Transformation! Jett Elwood Appears!

Manfred was in his office pacing. Manfred was actually grateful that he had been forced to take those stupid acting classes. His plan was working and none of the people noticed the hatred radiating off of him towards Charlie Bone. Even though Charlie had already gone through basically hell it wasn't enough for him. He wanted the boy to suffer and suffer until he was begging for release.

_It's revenge and payback for that leopard attack Charlie. It's personal. You won't even be able to ask for help from my grandfather when I chose to attack you. _Manfred thought evilly planning out in his head how he was going to get Charlie alone. _I won't be alone. There are others in the endowed who have grudges against your friends will hate you when they see what you've become. We'll get you and you'll never see it coming. _ Manfred gave a dark chuckle as he imagined his revenge. He'd have to gather the others without his family or the Bone's noticing. The Red King's room would be perfect. He could reveal the boy true identity and gather followers all at once.

***

Charlie was lying on his bed fully clothed the rays of dawn falling on him through his window. Charlie sat up as there was a knock on the door. "Come in." Charlie called his voice was lower than before like he had gotten five years older over night. The door opened to reveal Grandma Bone. She flung a set of clothes on him.

"Get dressed you start school in an hour. Come out when you're dressed and we'll discuss everything." Grandma Bone left leaving him alone. Normally Charlie would have objected but the new him didn't see the point of it.

Charlie entered Ezekiel's room to find all the adults there Manfred included. They all gave a small gasp of surprise as they saw that yet again Charlie's face had changed. Gone was the dead skin and chapped lips. In their place there were three thin red scars. Two were on the right side of his face. One was from his chin line to the middle of his cheek and the second was from the middle of his eyebrow to the end of his bottom eyelid. The last scar was on his left cheek was diagonal from the top of his cheekbone to the edge of his lip.

The scars alone were scary enough but what made them scarier was Charlie's new fierce expression. His eyebrows were scrunched with his jaw set and his eyes unwavering. His hair covered his left eye while on the other side it was tucked behind his ear as if to portray the scars even more.

Charlie was in his school uniform which had become a little snug on the arms with his new muscles but it was loose in front of his stomach. The tie and cape were absent. His shirt was open a couple buttons worth. Hanging on his neck was a new necklace. It was a black chain with a bear's tooth hanging from the ring. The edge of the tooth had been was red. It looked like it had recently been used to cut someone. A drop of paint had fallen onto Charlie's chest and was flowing smoothly down.

Charlie stood with his hands in his pocket past the second knuckle to reveal a silver ring with a tree engraved in it on his right index finger.

"Where did you get the jewelry? Where's your tie?" Lucretia asked.

While Eustacia asked, "Where did you get the tooth? Surely not from around here."

Charlie smiled and responded, "One can take things once they're lost can they not. As for the engraving I simply slipped down to the art room and used one of their burins. I got rid of the tie to show off my new necklace." (Burin: tool used for engraving metal.)

"You did your ring by yourself?!" Dr. Bloor asked incredulously. "I thought he didn't have any artistic skills." Dr. Bloor turned to the four sisters.

"He didn't at least not before he disappeared." Venetia answered.

"Forget the tie. Enough of the pointless chitchat let's get work. We still need to prepare you for school." Ezekiel screeched setting the folder in his arms on the table. "I was worried that when your friends notice your true identity they would in return change you back to the way you were. I was going to change your name but it looks like we won't have to worry about that."

"No, my name should die with my old self." Charlie objected stunning them into silence.

"What name did you have in mind for yourself?" Dr. Bloor asked out of curiosity.

"Jett Elwood. The name Jett means different and Elwood means forest. My time in the forest is what changed me so I'll take the Elwood as a last name as a sign of gratitude towards the forest." Charlie stated.

"You ungrateful-" Grandma Bone snarled. "Why not take Yewbeam as your name? You should be grateful to your elders not some trees."

"No, it's fine. Yewbeam would only bring questions." Dr. Bloor breathed amazed by the impact the boy had on others. He used to have the personality that collected friends but now it was one that made others avoid him immediately on impulse. The scars may help but it was his new personality that would send most kids away from him.

"Jett Elwood it is then." Ezekiel added the name to an entry form to Bloors. "What major will you take then Jett? Surely you haven't forgotten the majors since you were last here."

"Music as long as I don't have to be in the same dormitory."

"Ah, we have a problem with that. If you're not in the same dormitory who's going to watch you?" Dr. Bloor said.

"Watch me? Are you sure Dagbert Endless will be enough for that job?" Jett smiled daringly. His back was straightened and his hips were jutting forward confidently.

"We'll certainly find out won't we?" Venetia replied. Ezekiel grinned in satisfaction. This boy certainly had changed. He had changed even more rapidly overnight than in the past month. The boy's other relatives and his friends would certainly receive a shock when they saw the new him. He might even give them a heart attack. Ezekiel chuckled at he thought. _You may have changed greatly Charlie but you'll still receive my revenge._ Manfred confirmed with himself.

300 kids had entered the old building and Jett Elwood formally Charlie Bone was once again amoung the crowd of people. As Dr. Bloor had predicted the kids avoided him and gasped everytime he so much as glanced at them. Being gone for two days in his old life seemt like nothing compared to this. They didn't just stare they whispered behind his back and during class would sit rigid in their seat with their eyes on the teacher to be sure wouldn't come in eye contact with the new scarred kid. Thing was Jett didn't even mind. He was actually proud that he had such an affect that evaporated the desire to ask him questions.

Normally they would try to be friendly and ask how he got the scars but the scars were brand new and they would receive a glare from the new kid if they so much as opened their mouths when they were looking at him.

They all shared the thoughts _Why doesn't he have to wear a tie? Where's his cape? Their thoughts went darker. What's scarier the scars or the way that he styled his hair to expose the scars instead of hiding them like a normal kid who just got new scars? Does he like the scars so much that he's proud of them? _They were too afraid to even wonder why he stroked one the scars almost lovingly at least once every five minutes.

The students fear of the new kid increased with each passing class even the teachers seemed to be intimidated by the new boy. They barely spoke to the boy and didn't even ask the kid's name when he first came in. They only told him where to sit and gave him workbooks. After that they halted all contact with him.

Lysander, Emma, Gabriel, and Olivia had seen the new kid yet so at dinner when Dr. Bloor called for silence to make an announcement five people listened carefully to Dr. Bloor. Fidelio was the extra.

"We have a new boy joining the endowed. Jett Elwood. Stand up." Jett Elwood stood swiftly without so much as his leg wobbling unlike before.

"A friend of mine has told me of this place and I look forward to be learning here." Jett said confidently while the rest of the students questioned his sanity. None of them had looked forward to being here when they had started and some of them still didn't.

The five anxious ones slumped in disappointment this wasn't Charlie. They couldn't find one recognizable feature between the two. Even the personality was wrong. Emma and Olivia flinched at the site of the scars.

"DISPERSE!"

As they walked in the hall with the new kid they found some strange things. He walked swiftly and was inside the King's Room before anyone else like he had lived here for years instead of being here on his first day. He had even weaved through the crowd extremely well. It was like the new boy couldn't stand to be with normal people. _He seems proud to be endowed instead of frightened by his new he's had his powers for years and the Bloors just recently discovered it. _Lysander thought.

Lysander was the second one in and he noticed that Jett sat on the side where Manfred usually sat. The instant Lysander sat in his usual spot Jett spoke to him from his seat directly across from him. "I heard there was a thunder boy and a albino who talked to animals. What happened to them?" Jett may be different but he still couldn't bring himself to say Tancred's name. It would reveal his old self by the strain in his voice and that was something he must avoid.

_He asks so casually there's no way this could be Charlie. Charlie would be more careful when talking about Tancred especially when he doesn't know that Tancred is alive. He would also strike up a plan on how we should be rescuing Billy. I shouldn't reveal that Tancred's alive to this kid._

"There was. Billy the albino went missing and Tancred unfortunately died in a fight against Dagbert the drowner." Lysander informed him.

"You shouldn't speak of them so easily. Your voice should be strained with sadness. Guess you didn't care about your friends that much." Jett turned to his books while Lysander sat frozen in shock.

"I did care and I still do." Lysander retorted.

"Oh, then why isn't that albino back yet and why weren't you there in the fight to save your friend?" Jett asked bitterly knowing the answer.

"Every problem has things that must be done first before the conclusion is reached."

"So continuing to come here with only thoughts going through your head but taking no action is your way of reaching the conclusion. You know if you continue using these steps the conclusion will simply be a loss of a friend. Or are you saying that you're incapable of initiating the plan and your friends with people who are the same as you. Unable to do something but still want it to be done. You should just give up if that's the case. You'll only end up bring pain to yourself and others otherwise." Jett said knowledgeably with drops of acid in his voice.

Before Lysander could counter Manfred walked in with Dagbert. Manfred sat on Jett's right while Dagbert sat on the other side. "So how'd you get he scars Elwood?" Lysander asked using his last name to make known that they weren't friends.

"These two were from a bear attack when I was walking in the forest and the left side of my face seemed bare so I added this one." Jett traced his diagonal scar with his index finger and touched the bear tooth on his necklace. "With this tooth." Jett stared directly at Lysander as he licked his index finger that had just traced his handmade scar.

_So that __**was**__ blood on the tooth. I thought it was paint at the time. That explains why it looked like it had recently been used to cut someone this morning._ Manfred reasoned. _The dead skin from his sunburn covered the scars so we didn't know that he had actually been near a bear. One question remains. Is that story true?_

Dagbert had different thoughts going through his head. _This new boy is creepy even for one of us. He cut his face just to seem scary from whichever side of his face they looked at._

"When did you cut yourself like that?" Manfred asked.

"Two weeks ago my wound isn't completely healed that's why it's thicker than the other scars." Jett said smoothly when he finished the rest of the endowed entered. Joshua sat next to Dagbert and Dorcas was next to Josh. The twins sat on Manfred's right. Only Dagbert could tell whether Inez or Idith was next to Manfred. Gabriel sat on Lysander's right and Emma was next to Gab forced to be close to Joshua. Fortunately he had lost interest in torturing her but who knew how long that would last.

After Lysander finished his homework he wrote a letter addressed to Charlie's family , Miss Ingledew and Tancred. He would ask Emma the favor of delivering it for him.

There's a new kid who came today. His name is Jett Elwood. He has three scars on his face. Two are on his right side and one is on his left. We don't know what his endowment is but he won against a bear with it. He has black hair and is dark skinned. He's one of the creepiest kids I've ever met. He gave himself the third scar. He cut himself with a bear tooth to get the scar on the left side of his face.

This new kid enjoys being away from unendowed people and he loves to intimidate them. All of the unendowed are avoiding him. He hasn't made a move against any of them yet but that may change. Also today when Dr. Bloor announced his coming he said he was looking forward to being here. There's something wrong with him. There's one thing I can tell for sure. There is no way this is Charlie.

He didn't wear a cape today so I don't know which department he's in. I don't know whether to hope he's in one of our dormitories or not. He seemed to know about all the endowed children when he came in. I guess someone had told him but I don't know if the Bloors would have given him as much information as he has. He knew about Billy's disappearance and Tancred's supposed death.

Mr. Yewbeam and all the other adults we may need to heavily rely on your advice from here on out. I have a feeling that things may get a lot worse than having Charlie and Billy missing. The balance is falling. Tanc we may need you sooner than we thought. Emma will come and get your response tomorrow.

Lysander

**I told you in the chapter before that my update would be sooner but my computer crashed and I couldn't get it back up for a long time. Sorry. I'll try to use the same timeline as the book but after reading this chapter you probably saw that it's kinda impossible. So here's what I'll do I have it have some of the same time line and align with the eighth book at the end of my writing. Do you like Charlie's change to Jett Elwood? I want to know if I did a good job. Please review.**


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